Which is best province among the four?
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To all Canadians, I want to ask if which is the best province among the four: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island. Me and my fiance' is planning to migrate in Canada. I will... Read More

Actually Saskatoon is the larger city by almost 100,000. If I had to choose, I'd pick Saskatoon. Royal University Hospital has more beds than Regina General and it handles more acute cases too. The only real PICU in the province is at RUH.

Apr 19, '09

Thank you janfrn. I'm now completing the requirements for assessment in Saskatchewan. I've decided to do this on my own. Will I get a job online once I have assessed to be eligible to take the CRNE? Then apply for work permit and so on.. for a permanent visa? Or things are getting a tougher?

Apr 19, '09

It's really hard to say what the job prospects are right now. I know that in Alberta, six months ago it would take at least 20 minutes to scroll through all the posted nursing vacancies on the Capital Health career board. Now it takes about 5. As of this moment there are only 18 postings that would be suitable for IENs (in terms of work permit requirements) at the University of Alberta and 7 at the Royal Alexandra. Things in Saskatchewan may still be more favourable for IENS but I can't say for sure. The Saskatoon Health Region Career website isn't very user friendly.

Today there's an article in the newspaper about the job losses being suffered by semi-skilled temporary foreign workers all across Alberta. The economic recession has left about 200,000 without employment and under the terms of their work permits, even though they've been petitioned for PNP, they are unable to work for anyone else without revising their TWP and the're looking at returning home. Of course, nursing isn't in the same category, but if a Canadian nurse's partner is laid off and s/he's working casual or in a small part-time position, s/he's going to be applying for the very same postings that the IEN will be. There's no question who will get the position in that situation. I believe that is how the vacancies in Alberta have dried up; Saskatchewan's economy is based on the same industries as Alberta's so even if the recession hasn't caused them to lose jobs yet, the day could well be coming.

Applying for Saskatoon Health Region is tricky as well
They are only interested if you're eligible to take CRNE, same goes for other health regions.

So wait until you're assessed by SRNA and then see where you want to work and live.

5cats

Apr 20, '09

ohhhhh that didn't sound good. Thank you for being honest. My application package for Ontario just arrived and now I'm having a hard time deciding where to apply.. But I'm leaning more in Saskatchewan even though Ontario is much greater place than Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan welcomes IEN than Ontario I presume. :uhoh21:

Apr 20, '09

Just remember that the column was meant to be humorous.

There have been nursing lay offs in Ontario. And there are many people who wouldn't agree that Ontario is a great place... like me!

Apr 21, '09

oH can you share some of the reasons why?

Apr 21, '09

There's an attitude of superiority in a lot of people from Ontario that really doesn't sit well with me. Torontonians believe they ARE Canada, that the rest of us are just here to look up to them. Some of them get quite snarky when we don't. Take a look at the National Post to see just how Ontario-centric our "national" newspaper is. It's a lens on how what happens day to day affects urban Ontario. (There are huge areas of the province that are just as insignificant to the urban elite as the Rest of Canada.) Oh, and let's bail out their major industries to the tune of many billions of (western) tax dollars so that we can keep them in business.

The cost of living in Ontario is quite high when compared to other provinces. The air quality is much poorer due to the concentration of heavy industry there. Urban sprawl is not something I approve of, and when it takes the better part of a day to drive through Toronto on the 401 because of traffic, well, not interested!

I lived in Ottawa for two years and couldn't wait to leave. The cost of living was way too steep for our young family and I had a terrible time finding work (wasn't a nurse then). I ended up staying at home with my baby and feeling cut off from the world. People were not friendly and I wasn't used to being so isolated. We left there nearly 30 years ago and haven't been back to Ontario except to visit since.

It may seem odd that someone whose ancestors were pioneers in Ontario would feel this way. (I have forebears from there who arrived from Scotland and Ireland in the very early 1800's, more during the Irish Famine of 1846-1852 and then others from Poland in the 1870's.) But I've lived allover Canada and have seen how ignored the other provinces are when it comes to just about everything.The only province that gets more attention than Ontario is Quebec, and we're just NOT going to open that can of worms. I still have many relatives in Ontario and they're welcome to it! But of course this is my personal point of view.

Last edit by NotReady4PrimeTime on Apr 23, '09

Apr 23, '09

Im off to Ontario. I trust your point of view. Ive never been there so it will be much harder for a foreign like me. :uhoh21:

Apr 23, '09

I can understand your point of view janfrn:

I have been to a lot of major cities in the States and ended up choosing to go to Oklahoma (yes where the cowboys are) to study and live. Go figure. I love peace and quite. I love the strength a small town brings to the pot of stew, although its strength and existence is usually underminded/overlooked. That's why I chose London, I never heard of it before I applied to be assessed by CNO last year, then again I didn't know much about Canada, period. When I did, I started making plans around it (London, i.e.). I think it's about 2 & a 1/2 hrs outside of Toronto?! Toronto wasn't even an option for me. I smiled when you mentioned the traffic on the highway, I actually experienced that.

I love fresh air, country air...crisp and void of the hovering cloud of dust and pollution usually present in major cities. Maybe London isn't as "country"...I guess in time I'll find my way around.